2003–2011

Overview

In a modern world which constantly waters down the power of the gospel, one of the greatest challenges facing Christians is differentiating their faith from other religions. The two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, are often either lumped together or completely polarized. The Baker Islam and Christianity Collection brings together the latest scholarship on Christian-Islamic studies to provide clear distinctions between the two dynamic faiths, as well as show the ways in which these two religions intersect. With a mixture of easily accessible introductions to Islamic-Christian relationships and thorough side-by-side comparisons of the Qur’an and the Bible, this collection has a lot to offer seasoned Islamic scholars as well as those unfamiliar with Islam. These texts are written by Islamic scholars and missionaries, written from a heart of love and admiration for Muslims and their faith while maintaining a focus on the truth of the Gospel. The information found in this collection will help Christians learn how to have spiritual conversations with their Muslim friends, neighbors, coworkers, and relatives, and have the tools to discuss the love and divinity of Jesus in the context of the Islamic faith.

With the Logos edition of the Baker Islam and Christianity Collection, these volumes are enhanced by valuable features. Scripture and ancient-text citations link directly to English translations and original-language texts, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Cross-reference them and study these volumes side-by-side to compare their analyses of ancient source texts. Perform powerful searches with the Topic Guide to instantly gather relevant biblical texts and resources, enabling you to jump into the conversation with the foremost scholars on Islam and Muslim outreach. Tablet and mobile apps let you take the discussion with you. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

Offers informative explorations of Islam from a Christian perspective

Includes direct comparisons of the Qur’an, the Bible, and other religious source texts

Provides helpful discussions of what it looks like to live side-by-side with Muslims

Drawing from sources such as the Qur’an, Ibn Ishaq’s biography of Muhammad, early Christian chronicles of the Crusades, and contemporary Muslim and non-Muslim writings, Peter Riddell and Peter Cotterell approach modern Islam with academic rigor. They move beyond the positive and negative stereotypes of Muhammad to argue against the myth that relatively recent events in the Middle East are the only cause for the clash between Islam and the West.

Riddell and Cotterell ask the non-Muslim world to attempt to understand Islam from the perspective of Muslims and to acknowledge past mistakes. At the same time, they challenge the Muslim world by suggesting that today Islam stands at a vital crossroads. The way forward is for them to decide.

Islam in Context is an ideal text for courses on Islam or world religions. Additionally, it will appeal to those interested in an alternative to the easily packaged descriptions of the relationship between Islam and the West.

Islam in Context is a must for anyone who wants to better understand contemporary Islam in its various forms and especially the role jihad has taken in today’s world. Incorporating historical, theological, and modern reflection, the authors offer an invaluable service to those of us who struggle to grasp the ideology and theology behind such horrible events as the September 11 attacks.

This book is a must for anyone looking for a highly readable, balanced, scholarly overview of the history of Islam and its current manifestations. The authors address complex, sensitive, and controversial issues with integrity, providing an immensely valuable analysis of the role of Islam in today’s world and of the challenges within Islam that Muslims themselves need to address.

—The Baroness Cox, House of Lords, London

In my opinion, Riddell and Cotterell have produced the most helpful book on Islam thus far appearing under the imprimatur of an evangelical publishing house, elucidating those key cultural and religious dimensions of Islam that have given rise to the present uneasy interface between that religion and the secularized West . . . If I were back in the classroom teaching world religions, this would be required reading.

Many books have been written on Islam, but this book surpasses all of them in its well-balanced treatment of Islam from historical, theological, and sociopolitical perspectives . . . The authors have faithfully and candidly delivered the most comprehensive book on Islam, flavored with up-to-date information that makes it exciting, educational, and informative and reflects a sincere concern for peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims.

—Debela Birri, director, Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology

Islam in Context is a timely book addressing a crucial issue. It is very well written by those who know the Islamic context as well as Islam as a religion. The treatment clearly deals with historical development as well as theological distinctives. Written in an easy-to-read style, and with academic documentation, the book is one that will appeal to many. I appreciate the fairness with which they treat a rather heated issue.

Peter G. Riddell earned his PhD from Australian National University and is the director of the Center for Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations at London Bible College. He is an author and editor.

Peter Cotterell earned his PhD from London University and is an associate senior lecturer at the Center for Islamic Studies. He has lectured for 19 years at London Bible College, where he also served as the principle.

Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships

Despite growing numbers of Muslims and Christians living or working next to each other, several major barriers remain. Mistrust, fear, and misunderstandings get in the way. Carl Medearis provides new insights into the top questions people have about Muslims, Muhammad, and Islam. With practical information and fascinating stories, he shares culturally sensitive ways for Christians to get to know Muslims on a personal level. Medearis discusses the “Pillars of Faith,” what the Qur’an says about women, what Muslims think about the Bible and Jesus, how to have spiritual conversations with Muslims, and more. Rather than focusing initially on the differences between Islam and Christianity, Medearis shows that common ground is the best foundation for friendships and for turning hearts to Jesus.

I’ve known Carl Medearis for many years and have constantly been challenged by the quality of his life and ministry. His heart for those who don’t know Jesus is evident to all.

—Mike Bickle, author of Passion for Jesus and Growing in the Prophetic

I have experienced Carl’s compassion for people first-hand. His wisdom and experience give him unique insight into . . . sharing Christ with the Muslim world.

Carl Medearis is one of the most authentic Christians I know. I have spent time with Carl in the Middle East, and my own view of Muslims has been shaped by Carl’s living example. I was very moved when I was released from prison, to find that Carl wanted and tried to come to Iran to negotiate my release. I would highly recommend his books so that others can be changed like I have been.

—Dan Baumann, author of Imprisoned in Iran and A Beautiful Way

You won’t be able to put it down.

—Andy Braner, president, Kanakuk Colorado

This is a book deserving to be read and pondered and acted on, even if the only Muslim contact is a colleague at work.

—The Lamplighter

Carl Medearis is a highly sought-after Islamic expert. He works with international government and business leaders and speaks at conferences and universities to 40,000 people annually. After 12 years of living in Beirut, Lebanon, Carl and his family now make their home in Colorado Springs.

Comparing the Qur’an and the Bible: What They Really Say about Jesus, Jihad, and More

Islam is one of the fastest-growing faiths in the world. In our multicultural environment, Christians and Muslims will inevitably meet, work with, and live near each other. Comparing the Qur’an and the Bible offers an unprecedented collection of passages and doctrines of both faiths presented side-by-side for easy study and comparison, covering such key issues as Jesus, jihad, the ransom for sin, grace, rebirth, God/Allah, women, marriage and divorce, homosexuality, suicide, Paradise, and judgment. If we are to engage in an informed, loving conversation with Muslims, this book is an indispensable collection of accurate, understandable information taken directly from the primary source books of both faiths.

This book’s layout—a side-by-side comparison of what the Qur’an and the Bible have to say on a wide range of specific subjects—is extremely enlightening. Even without Rev. Richter’s very helpful comments, this comparison design let’s these two very different religions speak for themselves. The Christian Gospel simply glows from the pages of the study.

—Rev. Ronald Weidler, Batavia, IL

It is rare that I would have a guest on my radio program more than twice. However, I have had Rick Richter on three times because his book is filled with interesting information that cannot be exhausted in a one-hour interview.

—Tom Baker, host, Law and Gospel Radio Broadcast

Even though this study is written by a seasoned Christian pastor, this is an objective comparison between the Bible and the Qur’an that any serious Christian student of Islam needs. Also Muslims will find a lot of information that would help them in discovering new avenues to understanding the Bible.

—Rev. Peter Conwell Richards, missionary to Africa

The common misunderstandings of the Bible exhibited in the Qur’an are clearly delineated, and the many misunderstandings of what Muslims truly believe are clearly outlined as well. I can recommend this text to both teacher and student.

—Hicham Chehab, pastor, Salam Arabic Church, Chicago

The scholarship and research as well as the approachable style go hand-in-hand with an unambiguous witness to Christ. This will be both a great help to those seeking spiritual truth and also a deep comfort to those who believe that Jesus is the son of God and the savior of the nations.

Rick Richter received his MDiv from Concordia Seminary and has been pastor in the Lutheran Church’s Missouri Synod for 50 years. He has been researching Islam and holding workshops on the Qur’an and the Bible for the past decade. He currently ministers at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Claiming Abraham: Reading the Bible and the Qur’an Side by Side

Author: Michael Lodahl

Publisher: Baker

Publication Date: 2010

Pages: 240

Many of the Bible’s characters and stories are also found in the Qur’an, but there are often different details or new twists in the Islamic retelling of biblical narrative. In Claiming Abraham, seasoned theologian Michael Lodahl explores these fascinating divergences to discover the theological difference they make. He writes from a Christian perspective that respects the Islamic tradition to encourage readers to reflect on the real and appreciable differences among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. Lodahl compares and contrasts how the Bible and the Qur’an depict and treat certain characters in common to both religions, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Lodahl provides extended theological reflection on doctrines held in common by Christians and Muslims, such as creation, revelation, and the resurrection of the body.

Claiming Abraham offers an accessible introduction to Muslim theology and to the Qur’an’s leading themes, providing readers with a fuller understanding of Islam. It will benefit professors and students in theology, comparative religion, intercultural studies, and Islam courses as well as thoughtful lay readers and pastors.

Scholars will find this book brimming with comparative/interreligious and exegetical/intertextual insights from the Tanakh, New Testament, Qur’an, and their commentary traditions. For all other readers, including those wondering if it is possible to acknowledge the revelatory status of the Qur’an while remaining committed to faith in Christ, Claiming Abraham accessibly engages the theological matters at stake in ways that, if taken seriously, will both deeply inform Christian faith in a pluralistic world and transform the next generation of Christian-Muslim relations.

—Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University School of Divinity

In his presentation of the narratives and themes that are shared in the two scriptures, Michael Lodahl demonstrates a remarkable familiarity with the distinctive religious systems of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Most impressively, he avoids clichés and superficial assumptions by illustrating how these religious traditions are more often in disagreement than in agreement over figures such as Adam, Abraham, and Jesus. Ultimately, Lodahl presents an account of these matters that is marked by candor, clarity, and a firm grounding in Christian theology.

In a novel approach to interreligious dialogue, Michael Lodahl puts the Bible and the Qur’an in conversation with one another. The result is a fascinating study that shows how the two scriptures often draw upon and reshape the same pool of traditions. In the process, he raises important questions about the relationships among the monotheistic faiths by pointing out their similarities without ignoring or downplaying their differences.

Claiming Abraham is a most surprising, inviting, challenging, and important book . . . through the pages of this lovingly crafted book, all Abrahamic believers are invited to feast together on God’s word.

—Peter Ochs, Edgar Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of Virginia

Lodahl is sympathetic, patient, interested, and engaged, and so offers the reader the considerable assets of personal sensitivity along with a clear exposition of ideas and concepts. I can only hope that his style of theological inquiry will not only advance interfaith understanding but will move theology itself from its deep Western domestication.

—Lamin Sanneh, director, World Christianity Initiative at Yale

Claiming Abraham has recourse to a fine repertoire of skills in reading Scripture and in theological interpretation, to lead us on a journey of discovery of the similarity-in-difference that characterizes the ways Christianity and Islam can be seen to relate to one another. ‘Similarity-in-difference’ is the key, for each will prove illuminating in understanding the other.

Michael Lodahl is professor of theology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, and has studied extensively in Israel and Jordan. He is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and has served congregations in three states. He is the author of several books, including The Story of God: A Narrative Theology.